Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • June 2014
25
John Mlynczak
Keeping up with today’s tech-
savvy kids is essential in education.
For students, technology is a natural
extension of music listening and
creation and they will quickly take
ownership of classroom technology
and become leaders in its effective
use in your program.
This article will explore four
phases of music-technology inte-
gration that all programs can use
to enhance the student experience
and attract more students to music
courses.
Phase 1 : Record and
Playback in Class
Listening is essential to musical
growth at all levels, and the
quality of the listening experience
is important. Whether we are
listening to rehearsal recordings
to mark the score or are listening
with the students, it is imperative
that we record and listen in a
manner that allows us to hear all
the nuances of timbre, balance,
intonation, and dynamics.
Unfortunately, an iPhone, iPad,
or MP3 recorder does not give you
an accurate representation of the
ensemble. The compression used
on these devices cuts frequencies,
dynamic range, and timbre which
is counterproductive to what we
teach in the classroom.
For this reason, I recommend
recording at a 44.1 kHz sample
rate, with 16- or 24-bit resolution,
using condenser microphones.
Some handheld devices, such as
those made by
Zoom or Tascam,
record at this
quality and have
small condenser
capsules built in.
When using these
devices, do not
use an auto-level
setting. Always set
recording levels
manually so that
the dynamics are not altered.
However, using a stand-alone
recorder means transferring audio
files to a computer for editing and
distribution. To save this step, I
recommend using a stereo pair of
condenser microphones and a USB
interface to record directly into the
computer.
PreSonus makes the only
complete recording kits on the
market. The company offers three
such kits. For stereo recording, I
recommend the AudioBox Stereo
bundle, which includes two
microphones, an audio interface,
recording software, and all cables.
Phase 2: Share and
Distribute Recordings
wi th Students
Once you are comfortable
recording daily, it is important
to share the
sound files with
students so they
can listen and
make informed
decisions about
ensemble
im-
provement. This
practice also in-
corporates 21
st
Century Learning
Skills and Higher Order Thinking
Skills by having students
communicate improvement ideas
based on their own assessments
of the music ensemble. Instead
of just telling the trombones that
their sound is too loud and edgy,
let students hear what it sounds
like from the front of the ensemble.
This helps them better understand
why you are asking them to blend.
High-quality audio playback in
class is just as important as high-
quality recording, so I recommend
using studio reference monitors,
which are much more accurate
than consumer speakers or large
sound systems. Brands like KRK,
M-Audio, and PreSonus are all
great for this.
Using Technology to Enhance and
Grow Music Programs
For more on using
music-technology
solut ions, attend
the cl inic “Teaching
wi th Technology”
Sunday, July 27, 2014
3:30 p.m.
CC Room: 214AB